Chemist: The molecules

Answer choices

1. A

   No Impact On Conclusion4% picked this

   In general, if the molecules of a weed-killer are always present in two forms, then it is likely that weeds are killed by one

   This tells us nothing about where any of our data on the effectiveness comes from, whether they studied a wide or narrow range of local soil conditions.

   4%
2. B

   Correct61% picked this

   Almost all of the data on the effects of the weed-killer are drawn from laboratory studies in which both forms of the weed-killer's molecules

   Why this is right

   This addresses our new guy "the data" head-on. It sounds like this weed-killer has been tested in artificial lab conditions, in which neither molecule is the predominant one. We learned that local soil conditions will usually favor the breakdown of one form of molecule or the other, leaving the remaining one as the dominant one that's more concentrated in the soil. If most of the time actual soil is imbalanced (there's either more of form 1 or form 2), but almost all the data is based on lab soil that is equally form 1 and form 2, then this would support the idea that our data is probably giving us a misleading sense of how effective the weed killer will be in actual conditions.

   Skill tested: Strengthen · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

   61%
3. C

   Unclear Impact7% picked this

   Of the two forms of the weed-killer's molecules, the one that kills weeds is found in most local soil conditions to

   Without knowing whether the data we have for this weed killer was based on soil where the killer form is present or soil where the non-killer form is present, we can't tell whether this is misleading. If most of our testing data was on soil where the killer-form is more concentrated, then our data should match up with reality most of the time. If most of our testing data was on soil where the non-killer form is more concentrated, then our data is probably misleading.

   7%
4. D

   Opposite13% picked this

   The data on the effects of the weed-killer are drawn from studies of the weed-killer under a variety of soil conditions similar to those

   This would weaken the argument and make our data sound pretty trustworthy, since it takes into account the variety of soil conditions.

   13%
5. E

   Unclear Impact14% picked this

   Data on the weed-killer's effects that rely solely on the examination of the effects of only one of the two forms of the weed-killer's

   This discusses a certain scenario under which we would receive misleading data (if the data is based on examining only one of the two forms of molecule). But we don't know if "much of the data" is examining only one of two forms, so this answer doesn't seem useful until we know whether any of the data has actually been compiled by studying solely one form.

   14%